Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet.  It just started raining.

I fed the birds.  I've seen several sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

It barely rained at all, just enough to make things inconveniently damp. >_<

EDIT 6/16/26 -- We went out to the Charleston Food Forest and Grissom Family Orchard and Farm Market, along with other errands.  :D

There are a couple thunderstorms visible from here, but one is too far north.  The other to the west may or may not give us any rain.

EDIT 6/16/26 -- We've gotten light rain for about half an hour, then suddenly "the air is water" and "the sky is throwing rocks" briefly.  The hail was only pea-sized, lasted a couple minutes, and melted almost instantly so I doubt it did any real damage.

EDIT 6/16/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I walked along the road taking pictures of the sunset.  You can still see a little of the cloud diversity today.  It was definitely the kind of sky that made me think God had gotten to the bottom of her craft box and decided it was time for a stashbuster project.  At one point, I looked at a forming thunderhead and mused, "I wonder if God has enough to finish that one, or if She is just playing yarn chicken."  :D  Then I realized that "The God Box" poem wasn't on Dreamwidth because it was published elsewhere a couple decades back, so I definitely need to fix that.
 
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet. It rained last night. Grass and trees still have water on them.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen any activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I heard bobwhite quail calling but didn't see any.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- We did a lot of work outside.

I've seen several sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I picked up branches around the yard and used them to shore up the core for the next bonfire. Usually I stack several logs crosswise to form a chimney. I hadn't done that earlier, so instead I had to work around the pile of clingweeds I dumped in the other day. That's okay, I know multiple methods. The benefit of building a chimney for the bonfire is that it promotes airflow, allowing the fire to draw in cool air at the bottom, pull it up the middle, and emit hot air from the top. That makes the fire burn better.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I picked berries north of the driveway. I got a scant handful of mulberries and about half a bag of black raspberries. Some of the blackberries have pink fruit, others are still green.

In some of the strips, lots of flowers are coming up -- zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, and such. Most of the rows have sprouted in the telephone pole garden. :D Some have lots of flowers, others just a few.

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- We trimmed low branches from the Home Base mulberry tree by the driveway.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I picked a scant handful of mulberries from the south lot.

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I tried to crack open some white nectarine pits so I could sprout the seeds, but none of them were any good. Some had only shriveled seeds, others wouldn't break open at all. :/

EDIT 6/14/26 -- I did some bushwhacking around the white garden.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Endangered California Condor Flies into Oregon for the First Time in 122 Years

Last month, a California condor flew into Oregon before returning after several hundred miles to its home in Redwoods National Park, becoming the first condor recorded in the state since 1904.

Taking a closer look, condor conservationists among northern California’s Yurok tribe concluded it was condor B9, an animal that had been born in captivity and released into the wild in 2022 by the Yurok.

The animal flew a grand total of 380 miles and 4 days in a loop, starting high in the redwoods before passing Redding in NoCal and then entering Oregon. It made stops near Medford, Cave Junction, and Brookings before recrossing state lines and returning to the national park.


That's good progress. \o/

Today is partly sunny, muggy, and hot. It rained on and off for several hours last night. I saw so many fireflies in the evening! :D

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/11/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/11/26 -- I did more work around the patio.










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Today is sunny, humid, and hot. A beautiful day to stay indoors and write! Yesterday it rained off and on during the afternoon. The patio was still wet this morning, so we likely got more last night too.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

Morning glories are blooming. :D

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I took some pictures around the house and yard. I have a nice tall stand of milkweed blooming in the prairie garden, taller than me. :D

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches at the hopper feeder.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I started trimming grass around the Asiatic lily patch by the telephone pole.

The first of the recently sown seeds are already sprouting! :D Charleston Food Forest and 'State Fair' zinnias are up, though not the developing 'Shirley' landrace rows.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I trimmed more grass around the Asiatic lily patch by the telephone pole.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I planted 5 'Yelloween' lilies in the telephone pole garden. That's the end of the hummingbird garden sack that I got from Costco.

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I spread potting soil and mulch over the newly planted lilies.

It's not even dark yet, but already swarms of fireflies are rising up from the grass. :D Fly, my pretties, fly!

EDIT 6/10/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden including the new lilies.

Lots more fireflies are out now. The evening is very sparkly! I've seen at least one bat too.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet.  It rained enough to make puddles earlier, let up just long enough to get outside a bit, then started raining again.  I can hear thunder.  We need the rain, especially after yesterday's seed sowing.  It's supposed to get hot later.

I fed the birds.  The windows are too wet to see through, so I'm not sure of activity.

EDIT 6/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio during a break in the rain.  It was pouring for at least an hour, most of the patio underwater, and lighter rain most of the rest of the day. 

The birds seem to be hiding somewhere, very sensible of them.

EDIT 6/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 6/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 6/8/26 -- I went outside to check on things.  There are large floodles in the field west of us, one of which flows over the road to the south.  This is normal for spring, but not for June. 0_o

It started drizzling again, so I am done for the night.
 

Today is mostly cloudy and quite warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I started weeding the center of the telephone pole garden.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I did more weeding the center of the telephone pole garden.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I did more weeding the center of the telephone pole garden. I am past the halfway point. Yay.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I did more weeding the center of the telephone pole garden. I am near the far end.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I finished weeding the center of the telephone pole garden. \o/

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I planted 15 'Lucifer' crocosmia in the telephone pole garden.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I planted the last 20 'Lucifer' crocosmia in the telephone pole garden.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I planted 20 'Blaze Mix' gladioli in the telephone pole garden.

EDIT 6/6/26 -- I spread the bag of Black Kow composted manure over the telephone pole garden, then tacked down the net that discourages critters from digging in it. I still need to spread topsoil over that and sow the seeds, but that's for tomorrow.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night. *goflopnow*

Today is mostly sunny and warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I sprayed weeds in the prairie garden.

Black raspberries are ripening. Blackberries have green fruit.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I potted up the giant African marigolds.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I watered the patio plants and barrel garden.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a fox squirrel.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I picked a handful of black raspberries along the edge of the prairie garden.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

EDIT 6/4/26 -- After sunset, we went out skywatching. We saw Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury in a line. \o/

At least 2 bats were out tonight, skimming along the edges of the yard and up the driveway. There were more fireflies, surprising given how dry it's been recently, but I am happy to see them.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.